Public Safety Smart Belt

ABSTRACT

A smart belt system worn by a person comprising an elongated belt configured for removably coupling a plurality of devices, a GPS component coupled to the belt configured to track the geo-location and movement of the belt, a microprocessor coupled to the belt, logic instructions executing by the microprocessor configured to monitor and regulate the activities of the plurality of devices and geo-location and movement data generated by the GPS component, a memory component configured for storing the logic instructions and accessible by the microprocessor, a wireless data communications system coupled to the belt configured to wirelessly communicate with an external data communications system and the microprocessor, a power and data bus disposed within the belt and communicatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of devices, GPS component, microprocessor, memory, wireless data communications systems, and data storage component; and a data storage component coupled to the belt and accessible by the microprocessor for storing activity data of at least one of the plurality of devices and the geo-location and movement data of the belt generated by the GPS component.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation-In-Part Application of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/420,066 filed on Jan. 30, 2017, which claims thebenefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/289,313 filedon Jan. 31, 2016.

FIELD

The invention relates generally to a wearable computer device worn as abelt.

BACKGROUND

As public technology advances and additional hardware and softwareapplications become available to public safety employees, the amount ofspace available on the “traditional” public safety utility belt to carrythese devices has become limited. Another challenge is the ability tomaintain power to these devices on a long-term basis, throughout theshift of the public safety employee. In addition, many of these devicesand applications generate data, which must be captured and stored. Formany applications this data must also be transferred or uploaded eitherimmediately or at a later time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the claimed subject matter can be obtainedwhen the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments isconsidered in conjunction with the following figures.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the internal components that may bewired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating the seat mounted inductivecharging configurations according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a myriad of external and internal publicsafety components wired or wirelessly coupled to the smart beltaccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a public safety vehicle and its componentswired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of drone technology incorporated with a publicsafety vehicle equipped with seat mounted inductive charging for a smartbelt according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a myriad of external and internal publicsafety components including drone technology wired or wirelessly coupledto the smart belt according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a public safety vehicle and its componentswired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 9-11 illustrates various scenarios in which a tracking device maybe affixed to a vehicle according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure; and

FIG. 12 is an illustration of an embodiment in which conductive wiresare incorporated into clothing items to conduct electricity and datasignals to the devices and components coupled to special connectorsincorporated into the clothing items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a wearable computer system 10, in the form of asmart belt 10 (in the form of an elongated strap and a fastener like abuckle) to be worn by a public safety employee, or other human being, tocarry a myriad of tools, devices, and other items. According to oneembodiment of the present disclosure, the system includes a belt 10,containing a computer microprocessor 12 that may be embedded in the beltor otherwise coupled thereto and operable to control the functions ofthe belt and the integration of other wired or wirelessly connecteddevices with the smart belt 10. The system further includes a wirelessdata communications system 14 disposed within or coupled to the smartbelt 10 that is capable of wirelessly communicatively coupling themicroprocessor 12 with external data communications systems such ascellular networks, local computer networks, and global computernetworks. The smart belt 10 includes one or more radio transceiver(s)and antennae to enable wireless communication of voice data, sensordata, commands, instructions, Global Positioning System (GPS) orlocation data, Internet data, etc.

The smart belt 10 may contain GPS components 16 to report or record thegeo-location (coordinates and/or street address) of the smart belt orits components. Here, GPS components 16 also represent accelerometerand/or gyroscope devices that are used to detect the orientation of thesmart belt and generate orientation data. In addition, the smart belt 10includes an embedded expansion area for additional memory and/or datastorage devices 18. In various embodiments, memory devices 18 includeone or more memory devices in various combinations, such as staticmemory (such as flash memory, SRAM memory and ROM devices), dynamicmemory (such as RAM and DRAM). In one embodiment, memory devices areintegrated within the smart belt 10 and not generally designed to beremovable except for maintenance purposes. For example, in thisembodiment, the smart belt 10 may be manufactured with a certain amountof memory, such as 4 GB of RAM. In another embodiment, memory devices 18may be mounted externally or in an expandable manner, such as interfacesto receive memory modules and/or flash memory cards (such as USB,microSD and SD (Secure Digital) cards) to expand the available memory.In yet another embodiment, memory devices 18 may include a combinationof both integrated memory and the functionality to allow attachment ofadditional memory devices coupled to the external surface(s) of thesmart belt 10. In various embodiments, memory devices 18 may be used byone or more of microprocessor 12, wireless data communications system14, GPS components 16 and devices mounted on the smart belt 12.

Further, the smart belt 10 may incorporate a removable or fixed datastorage component 20 now known, such as flash memory hard drives, USBstorage devices and/or rotating magnetic hard drives, or to be developedto store additional data generated by the microprocessor as well as datagenerated by the wired or wirelessly connected devices. Further, thesmart belt 10 may contain a rechargeable power supply 22 capable ofpowering all of the components of the smart belt 10 as well as externalcomponents which may be integrated with the smart belt 10. The smartbelt 10 may incorporate a power strip/data bus 24, disposed on theexterior or interior of the smart belt, which allows power from thepower source 22 disposed within the smart belt to be transmitted tocomponent devices that are attached to the smart belt. The power stripmay also be used to provide power to the rechargeable power supply 22and/or power the components disposed within the smart belt by attachingexternal power sources (power outlet, supplemental battery, etc.) via acharging port 26 to transfer the power. In addition, the smart belt mayconnect to a first aid component 27, described in more detail below. Adata port 58 may also be incorporated in the smart belt 10 to upload,download, sync, and transmit data to and from the microprocessor 12 anddata storage devices 20. In at least one embodiment, data port 58 mayrepresent multiple physical data communications systems allowing for aphysical data connection between devices and/or device holders coupledto the smart belt 12. Also, in at least one embodiment, data port 58 andcharging port 26 may be combined into the same physical device, such aspower over Ethernet systems and USB which provide both power and datacommunications capabilities. For example, some devices and deviceholders will need only wireless communications capabilities, whileothers may require only power charging/recharging capabilities, and someothers may prefer both a physical charging connection and a physicaldata connection, such as a detachable video camera that may need tocommunicate large quantities of data that would be better served by ahigher capacity wired connection vs. a wireless connection while alsobeing recharged. The smart belt further includes a component mountingstrip disposed on the exterior of the belt that facilitates the mountingof external components to the belt.

The rechargeable power supply 22 in the smart belt 10 may be charged byusing inductive charging. An inductive charging system 30 isincorporated within the driver's seat 32 in a vehicle 33, and/or in aspecially-equipped chair 34 in a home, office facility or other locationto charge the power supply in the smart belt 10. The inductive chargingsystem 30 is incorporated in the seats so that it may inductively coupleand charge the power supply 22 in the smart belt 10. The inductivecharging system 30 is preferably embedded in the back portion of thevehicular seat or office seat. In this manner, whenever a person wearinga smart belt 10 is sitting in a seat 32 or 34 equipped with the chargingsystem 30, the smart belt power supply 22 receives additional electricalcharge to replenish its charge. The user does not need to plug the powersupply to an outlet or connect any wires or connectors. Charging occurswhen the smart belt 10 comes into proximity with the inductive chargingsystem 30, such as when the wearer is seated in the vehicular or officeseat 32 or 34. Contactless inductive energy transfer is known in the artas a convenient way to transfer energy. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos.6,490,176 and 5,959,433, and published United States PatentApplications, Publication Nos. US 2004/0189,246 and US 2004/0145,343.

The power supply 22 in the smart belt is capable of supplying power toall of the devices coupled to and held by the smart belt via the powerstrip/data bus 24. The devices are held in sockets or holders that haveelectrical connections to the power strip/data bus 24 to enable thepower and data distribution. The microprocessor 12 is also capable ofdetecting the power level in any device waning and to distribute powerfrom the batteries of one or more other devices to devices that have lowpower charge. The microprocessor 12 may also prioritize the devices inthe smart belt so that power may be taken from the lower prioritydevices and distributed to the higher priority devices.

In another embodiment as shown in FIG. 12, the clothing items 90 worn bythe user may incorporate conductive wiring or fibers 101 woven into thefabric that may be used to conduct electricity and data signals todevices and components 102 clipped or attached onto connectors disposedat various locations of the clothing items 90. These wires 101 may becoupled to power supply 22 to enable powering the devices and components102. The wires 101 may also communicatively couple the devices andcomponents 102 to the microprocessor 12 to enable sending and receivingdata therefrom. Preferably, the wires 101 are coated to render the outersurface non-conductive. Additionally, the wires 101 are flexible and canbe easily and inconspicuously incorporated into the garments 90. Inanother embodiment, these wiring or fibers 101 are also configured todetect impact, forces, or penetration (by bullet, knife, club, etc.)being exerted on it and generate data in response thereto. The data maycorrespond to the amount and direction of the exerted force or impact ora message that notifies the microprocessor, so that appropriate actionmay be taken, such as sending a message to notify a central commandpost, or perform analysis of the data to determine the origin of thebullet.

In addition, the smart belt 10 may interface with external electroniccomponents wired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt. By way ofexample, one such component may be a holster 40 (FIG. 2) that is capableof detecting when a weapon 42, such as a gun, is removed from theholster, the number of bullets in the weapon 42, the mechanical statusof the weapon, etc. Further, each external component may be equippedwith location and orientation detection mechanism such asGPS/accelerometer/gyroscope devices that can detect the position andorientation of the component (e.g., directional, relative to orientationof the smart belt, and with respect to horizontal/vertical). Themicroprocessor 12 in the smart belt 10 is configured to receive thisinformation and monitor their position/orientation relative to thewearer or some other frame of reference as configured. An analysis ofthis data may include determining that the position of a component istoo distant from the location of the smart belt wearer, anddisplaying/sounding a warning message along with the location of thecomponent to the wearer, other smart belts, other persons or to acentral public safety dispatch or control center. For example, if apolice officer has been separated from their sidearm by more than anexpected distance, such as a few feet, the police officer and/or acentral control center can be notified. The central dispatch or controlcenter also receives the current geo-location of the smart belt to keeptrack of the position of all of the wearers. The microprocessor in thesmart belt may also be configured to enable or disable devices orcertain functionalities of a device, based on the position ororientation of the device in comparison to the smart belt or thedistance of the device from the smart belt. The holster 40 may alsoincorporate a mechanism or mechanical lock that would prevent anunauthorized user from removing the weapon 42 from the holster 40 ifcertain biometric requirements (e.g., fingerprints, handprint, etc.) arenot met. The holster 40 may also work in conjunction with the other beltcomponents. For example, when the weapon 42 is removed from the holster40, it may also cause a video recording system associated with the smartbelt 10 to activate and begin recording. In addition, the removal of theweapon 42 may cause the GPS component 16 of the smart belt 10 to sendthe wearer's location to other wearers or public safety officers in thearea or to a central public safety dispatch or control center. Theorientation of the weapon 42 is also sensed and relayed to themicroprocessor in the smart belt and used in analytics. Themicroprocessor 12 disposed within the smart belt 10 may control andcoordinate the interaction of all connected components on the smart belt10 to determine the proper action to be taken by any component on thewearer's person or in the vehicle when one or more of the components areactivated. The microprocessor 12 may also record the status/activity/GPScoordinates/orientation of the components and store and/or transfer thestatus/activity data. The microprocessor 12 may also send an alert toother public safety employees or to a central public safety dispatchcenter or control center, if a certain component or components areactivated. The smart belt 10 may convey information/data to the wearerusing a number of ways, such as providing a visually-perceivable displayon a pair of goggles or eyewear 52, and providing aurally-perceivableinformation using speakers/earbuds 76, etc. The public safety personnelmay receive visual/graphical/audio information related to all of thecomponents associated with the smart belt, including power levels,location/orientation, operating status, central dispatch communications,low fuel level of the vehicle, warning messages, etc.

Examples of what may constitute proper action that can be takenautomatically include: logging the location, orientation, andacceleration/movement of the wearer/vehicle/external component(s), beginrecording audio/video, begin analysis of audio/video information, beginrelaying audio/video information to central dispatch/station, relaywearer's physiological data to central dispatch, sound siren of thevehicle, and turn on an emergency light bar 8 on the vehicle.

The following components, may communicate wired or wirelessly with thesmart belt 10:

A radar component 29. The radar component 29 may be a handheld unit, aremote fixed or portable device or a device integrated with the publicsafety vehicle. When it is activated and being used to measure the speedof passing vehicles, it may relay the measured speed to themicroprocessor in the smart belt in a wired or wireless manner, whichmay project it for viewing by the wearer on the eyewear and/or a displayin the vehicle, whichever one that is best suited for the user. If themeasured speed exceeds the posted legal speed, the video informationcaptured of the speeding vehicle's license plate and the driver's facialfeatures are automatically analyzed using character recognition andfacial recognition software to identify the license plate and the speedviolator.

A flashlight component 46. In one embodiment, a flashlight component 46wired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt 10 may be charged andmonitored via the smart belt. If the smart belt 10 detects a problem(i.e., low battery, defective bulb/battery/switch) it may take action tocorrect the problem or alert the wearer to the problem. If theflashlight device 46 is activated, the smart belt 10 may record thedate/time and location/orientation of the device prior to, during andafter the activation, further activate any other components of the smartbelt 10 as programmed, further send a notification or alert of theactivation or status of the device 46.

A taser, stun gun, or an electroshock weapon component 48. In oneembodiment, the electronic weapon 48 is wired or wirelessly connected tothe smart belt and its power supply may be charged and monitored via thesmart belt 10. If the smart belt 10 detects a problem (e.g., lowbattery, defective probe/battery/switch) it may take action to correctthe problem or alert the wearer to the problem. If the electronic weapondevice 48 is activated, the smart belt 10 may record the date/time andlocation/orientation of the device prior to, during and after theactivation, further activate any other components of the smart belt asprogrammed, and further send a notification or alert of the activationor status of the device 48.

A facial recognition system. In one embodiment, facial recognitionsoftware installed and executing in the microprocessor 12 may work inconjunction with a video camera 50 and/or 60 wired or wirelesslyconnected to the smart belt 10. The video camera 50 and/or 60 may bemounted on protective eyewear 52 worn by the user or on an armored vest53, clothing 90, or smart belt 10 worn by the user, for example. Thevideo camera is operable to scan the faces and postures of peopleencountered by the wearer of the smart belt 10 and transmit the imagedata to the smart belt 10 or a remote database or software applicationfor analysis and to take proper action.

A night vision system 54. The night vision system 54 is coupled to theeyewear 52 to enable the wearer of the eyewear 52 to see in environmentsof low ambient light. In one embodiment, the night vision component 54is wired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt and may provide360-degree perimeter movement detection in low light circumstances forthe wearer of the smart belt 10, record the activity and thetime/date/geographical location of the activity, and transfer theinformation to the smart belt to take proper action.

A chemical spray component 56. In one embodiment, the chemical spraycomponent 56 is wired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt 10 andmay be monitored via the smart belt. If the smart belt 10 detects aproblem (e.g., outdated chemicals, low chemical supply, chemicalleakage, etc.) it may take action to correct the problem or alert thewearer or a third party of the problem. If the device 56 is activated,the smart belt may record the date/time and location/orientation of thedevice prior to, during and after the activation, activate any othercomponents of the smart belt as programmed, and further send anotification or alert of the activation or status of the device.

A gunshot detection component 28. In one embodiment, the gunshotdetection device 28 may be incorporated into the smart belt and mayinclude one or more microphones or audio sensors that is wired orwirelessly connected to the microprocessor 12 of the smart belt 10 andmay sense the sound of a gunshot in the vicinity of the smart beltwearer. Software installed in the microprocessor 22 or elsewhere in thesmart belt 10 is capable of analyzing the audio data, detecting gunshotsfrom received audio signals, and determining the probable location ofthe sniper/shooter. Preferably, multiple microphones are mounted atvarious locations to enable triangulation analysis to identify thedirection and location of the shots, For example, microphones may bedisposed on both sides of the user's helmet, armored vest, glasses, faceshield, riot shield, and/or smart belt(s). In addition, the smart beltmay receive wireless data from remotely mounted gunshot detectionlistening devices 28, such as mounted on vehicles, street lamps,buildings, etc. The software logic is able to take into account thelocation of the user (wearing microphones), the location of fixedmicrophones, and determine the location of the shooter based on thewhich microphones picked up the audio signature of the shot, Dopplereffect in the audio signal, the locations of the microphones, andtriangulation analysis. Additionally, data from multiple smart belts maybe collected for analysis to pinpoint the shooter location. Oncedetected, the detection may trigger the activation of other smart beltassociated components such as the night vision component 54, videorecorder component 60, GPS component 16, and the communication component14, to automatically send the information to other public safetyemployees or a public safety facility or other smart belts. It may alsouse data received via the gunshot detection device 28 or other devicesto mathematically or visually determine the possible location of theorigin of the gunshot and map the location to be graphically displayedto the wearer of the smart belt visually via glasses or face shield withvideo and graphical capabilities that are wired or wirelessly associatedwith the smart belt.

In an alternate embodiment or in augmentation to audio signal analysis,items worn and/or held by the user (e.g., helmet, riot shield, armoredvest, uniform) may include embedded sensor networks that can take abullet strike, and wirelessly relay sensor data associated with thebullet strike to a microprocessor (such as the one on the smart belt).The microprocessor may analyze the sensor data (e.g., force, pressure,velocity, direction, location on the item, location of the item, andwhich direction the surface struck by the bullet faces) to determine thecaliber of the bullet and the incident angle and velocity of the bulletstrike, and further determine the direction from which the bullettraveled and ultimately the location of the shooter. Data sent to themicroprocessor for analysis may also be provided by other remote datasources such as The National Weather Service, The National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration, etc. and may include data including, but notlimited to weather, wind direction, mapping or aerial photography

An environmental sensor component 62. In one embodiment, theenvironmental sensor component 62 is wired or wirelessly connected tothe microprocessor 12 of the smart belt 10 and may detect chemical orbiological hazards in the environment of the smart belt wearer, takeaction by activating additional components of the smart belt, andnotifying the wearer of the smart belt 10 and others.

An audio recording component. In one embodiment, the audio recordingcomponent is part of the video recording component 60 described above,but they may be separate independent subsystems. The audio recordingcomponent 60 is wired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt 10 andmay be voice activated and integrate with the Global Positioning systemcomponent 16 and be either manually activated to begin recording orbegin recording based on certain criteria, e.g., the detection of soundat a certain geographical location. For example, if a police officer isat the police station the device will not record, however if the officerin proximity to residence known for illegal drug activity it may beginto automatically record. In another embodiment, the audio recordingdevice may integrate with voice recognition software to allow the publicsafety employee to control the function of the smart belt and the wiredor wirelessly connected external or internal components via voicecommands. In another embodiment, the audio recording component mayintegrate with a voice recognition component operable to compare theaudio pattern and characteristics of voices detected to a digitallibrary of known voices to identify the person detected. Further, theaudio recording component may be integrated the video eye glasses 52that are wired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt 10 to displaythe picture and information to the smart belt wearer based on theidentification of the individual by the audio recording component.

A video recording component 60. In one embodiment, the video recordingcomponent is wired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt and may bevoice activated and integrate with the Global Positioning component 16and be either manually activated to begin recording or begin based onthe detection of sound at a certain geographical location. For example,if a police officer is at the police station the device will not record,however if the officer in proximity to residence known for illegal drugactivity it may begin to automatically record received video signals. Inanother embodiment, the video recording component 60 may integrate withthe facial recognition component. For another example, the videorecording component 60 may automatically begin recording if the smartbelt 10 is within a predetermined distance, such as 40 feet, fromanother human being, such as a person encountering a police officer.Continuing this example, the video recording component 60 could also notbe activated if the only other human being(s) in the area is alsowearing a smart belt, such as another police officer to avoid recordingwhen only police personnel are present. If the facial recognitioncomponent identifies a person or persons in the officer's vicinity withan arrest/conviction record and/or a history of aggression on policeofficers, it may begin recording. In another example, if firefightingpersonnel wearing smart belts are at the scene of a fire and the facialrecognition component identifies a known arsonist in the area around thefire personnel wearing smart belts, the recording component may activateand also send the information from the video recording component and theglobal positioning component or via an electronic alert or other messageto a central command and/or public safety employees or other personnelin the area who are also wearing their smart belts.

A handcuff component 66. In one embodiment, the handcuff component 66 iswired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt 10 and when the handcuff66 is removed from its case in the belt, the GPS component 16 isactivated to automatically record the location and also to activate theaudio component and/or video component to document the surroundingactivity, including the arrest. In addition, sensors or devices may bedisposed within handcuff component 66 to measure and/or monitor thevital signs of the wearer including, not limited to, blood pressure,pulse rate, body temperature or respiration. The vital sign informationmay be constantly or periodically gathered by the sensors or devicesdisposed within handcuff component 66 and transmitted to a centralmonitoring location, a remote computerized monitoring system or aperson, either via the wired or wirelessly connected smart belt 10 or adirect connection to an external communication network utilizing acommunications component communicatively coupled to handcuff component66.

A first aid component 27. In one embodiment, one or more items such as atourniquet may be part of a first aid component 27 that are wired orwirelessly connected to the smart belt 10. The removal of the tourniquetand/or another from the first aid component would automatically causethe activation of the communication component to send a live orpre-recorded message to the public safety dispatch center or otherpublic safety employees or other personnel in the vicinity. It may alsoautomatically trigger the location stamping of the location by the GPScomponent 16, the location being sent with the message by thecommunication component to a central dispatch or communications centeror to other public safety employees or other personnel or other smartbelt wearers in the vicinity. In addition, sensors or devices may bedisposed within first aid component 27 to measure and/or monitor thevital signs of the patient including, not limited to, blood pressure,pulse rate, body temperature or respiration. The vital sign informationmay be constantly or periodically gathered by the sensors or devicesdisposed within first aid component 27 and transmitted to a centralmonitoring location, a remote computerized monitoring system or aperson, either via the wired or wirelessly connected smart belt 10 or adirect connection to an external communication network utilizing acommunications component communicatively coupled to first aid component27.

An ammunition storage component 68. In one embodiment, the ammunitionstorage component 68 is wired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt10 and may monitor the age or condition of the ammunition contained inthe ammunition storage component 68 and notify the wearer of the smartbelt (via the microprocessor 12) if a problem is detected with theammunition. In addition, the component may recognize incompatibleammunition as compared to the weapon 42 detected in the firearm holstercomponent 40 and compare the information and notify the wearer of thesmart belt 10. In addition, when ammunition is removed from theammunition storage component 68 it may cause other components wired orwirelessly connected to the smart belt 10 to activate and operate.

A communication device component 70. In one embodiment, thecommunication device 70 is wired or wirelessly connected to the smartbelt 10 and allows two-way audible communications between the smart beltwearer and other smart belt wearers or a public safety dispatch center.The communication device component may also function to transfer data toand from the smart belt or the external or internal components wired orwirelessly connected to the smart belt, to and from external computersystems, voice or data analytics systems or voice or data storagesystems. The communication device component may also work in conjunctionwith a software component disposed within the smart belt or the smartbelt components, to identify components in need of software updates andtransmit the data related to the update to the component.

A baton component 72. In one embodiment the baton device 72 is wired orwirelessly connected to the smart belt 10 and works in conjunction withsoftware disposed in the baton component 72 or the smart belt 10, thesoftware component working in conjunction with the microprocessor 12 inthe smart belt 10 to recognize the removal of the police baton 72 fromthe smart belt and cause the GPS component 16 to create a digital stampof the location/orientation of the device prior to, during or afterdeployment, the communications device component 70 to send anotification to other smart belt users in the area or a police dispatchfacility indicating that the baton 72 has been removed from its holster.The baton's removal may also cause the audible recoding component, thevideo recording component, and the facial recognition component to beactivated and begin recording. The baton device 72 may also have abiometric component that detects usage by unauthorized person andactivates other components of the smart belt and takes action to notifyother public safety employees, other smart belts and/or a public safetydispatch center.

A holster component 40. In one embodiment, the holster 40 is wired orwirelessly connected to the smart belt 10, with the weapon 42 containedwithin the smart belt wired or wirelessly connected to either theholster or the smart belt. The holster may monitor the condition andstatus of the weapon contained within the holster including, but notlimited to the number of bullets in the weapon, if there is a bullet inthe chamber of the weapon, the status of the weapon, the number ofrounds fired by the weapon and the caliber of the weapon. The holster orsmart belt may further detect the removal of the weapon 42 from theholster 40 and the removal of the weapon from the holster may furthercause the holster or the smart belt to further activate the audiorecording component, the global positioning component, the videorecording component, the communications component, the night visioncomponent, and/or the eyewear component or any other component of thesmart belt

The weapon 42 component. In one embodiment, weapon 42 is a firearm wiredor wirelessly connected to the smart belt 10, the smart belt 10 operableto monitor the status of the firearms component including the readinessof the firearm to fire, the usage history of the firearm including thenumber of times it has been removed from the holster and fired and thelocation/orientation of the firearm prior to, during or after thefirearm is fired. The weapon 42 may also contain a biometric componentthat prohibits unauthorized users from using the weapon by reporting thebiometric information to the smart belt, the smart belt operable todetermine that the user is not authorized and disabling the weapon, andfurther activating other components of the smart belt including but notlimited to the GPS component 16, the video recording component, thecommunications component and the audio recording component. The smartbelt 10 may also notify other smart belt users, other public safetyemployees or a public safety dispatch center of the status of or use orattempted use of the weapon. The firearm may use traditional primer,casing, powder, and projectile type ammunition or alternate uniqueammunition to discharge various objects, projectiles, or substances. Inaddition, sensors or devices may be disposed within weapon component 42to measure and/or monitor the vital signs of the user including, notlimited to, blood pressure, pulse rate, body temperature or respiration.The vital sign information may be constantly or periodically gathered bythe sensors or devices disposed within weapon component 42 andtransmitted to a central monitoring location, a remote computerizedmonitoring system or a person, either via the wired or wirelesslyconnected smart belt 10 or a direct connection to an externalcommunication network utilizing a communications componentcommunicatively coupled to weapon 42.

In addition, the wireless communications component 14 disposed withinthe smart belt may act to receive software updates for the smart beltitself, as well as the components connected wired or wirelessly to thesmart belt.

In addition, the smart belt may be wired or wirelessly communicativelycoupled to external devices removed, removable or separate from thesmart belt including:

Eyewear 52 wired or wirelessly communicatively coupled to the smart belt10 equipped with an internal projection system to provide data, imagesor video to the wearer received from the wearer's smart belt or itsrelated components or received from other smart belts worn by otherpublic safety employees.

A headset 76 incorporating an ear piece 74 and microphone 78 wired orwirelessly communicatively coupled to the smart belt 10 to providetwo-way audio communication via the smart belt or its related componentsor received from other smart belts worn by other public safetyemployees.

Ballistic headwear 80. The ballistic headwear 80 or helmet wired orwirelessly communicatively coupled to the smart belt 10 being operabledetect impact and measure the degree of impact to the ballisticheadwear, or change in orientation of the ballistic headwear, andtransfer the information to the smart belt 10 for analysis and takeaction.

A ballistic vest 53. The ballistic vest wired or wirelesslycommunicatively coupled to the smart belt 10 is able to detect impact tothe ballistic vest and measure the degree of impact, or change inorientation of the ballistic vest, and transfer the information to thesmart belt for analysis and take action. In addition, sensors or devicesmay be disposed within ballistic vest 53 to measure and/or monitor thevital signs of the wearer including, not limited to, blood pressure,pulse rate, body temperature or respiration. The vital sign informationmay be constantly or periodically gathered by the sensors or devicesdisposed within ballistic vest 53 and transmitted to a centralmonitoring location, a remote computerized monitoring system or aperson, either via the wired or wirelessly connected smart belt 10 or adirect connection to an external communication network utilizing acommunications component communicatively coupled to ballistic vest 53.

A ballistic shield 82. The ballistic shield 82 wired or wirelesslycommunicatively coupled to the smart belt 10 is capable of detectingimpact or change in orientation of the ballistic shield and transfer theinformation to the smart belt to take action.

In addition, the public safety vehicle 33 itself may wired or wirelesslyconnect as a component of the smart belt 10. The public safety vehicle33 may be equipped with sensors to detect glass breakage, intrusion,force applied to the exterior or malfunctions and transfer theinformation to the smart belt to take action. The sensor may detectglass breakage (sniper fire/car accident/attack while the vehicle isoccupied or unoccupied) and send a warning message to the belt wearer(if away from the car) or a centralized monitoring station.

In addition, the ballistic shield 82, helmet 80, vest 53, clothing 90(e.g., shirt, trousers, hat, shoes), and public safety vehicle may befurther equipped with external or internal sensors to detect a number ofvariables. For example, temperature sensors may be used to determine thebody temperature of the officer to detect overheating or other less thanoptimal environment. The officer's physiological condition may also bemeasured by a plurality of sensors and relayed to the smart belt.Sensors can also be incorporated to detect the presence of environmentalhazards. Sensors may be incorporated into the clothing to determinewhether a force exceeding a certain magnitude has been applied to any ofthe components, determine a velocity and direction vector of the force,and transmit the location information (received from GPS component) tothe smart belt 10. The smart belt 10 is operable to analyze the receivedinformation and determine the possible location of the origin of theforce/hazard, and take action by alerting the wearer or other publicsafety personnel in the area or a central public safety dispatch centeror control center of the possible location of a suspect or threat basedon the analysis. In addition, sensors or devices may be disposed withinhelmet 80 or clothing 90 to measure and/or monitor the vital signs ofthe wearer including, not limited to, blood pressure, pulse rate, bodytemperature or respiration. The vital sign information may be constantlyor periodically gathered by the sensors or devices disposed withinhelmet 80 or clothing 90 and transmitted to a central monitoringlocation, a remote computerized monitoring system or a person, eithervia the wired or wirelessly connected smart belt 10 or a directconnection to an external communication network utilizing acommunications component communicatively coupled to helmet 80 orclothing 90.

In addition, the smart belt 10 may act as an electronic “key” toauthorize the operation of the functions of the public safety vehicle33. In one embodiment, the smart belt is wirelessly connected to thepublic safety vehicle and when the smart belt is in proximity to thepublic safety vehicle it provides a digital authorization for thevehicle to be started. In another embodiment, the smart belt provides adigital authorization for a weapon to be removed from a locking gun locklocated within the vehicle. In another embodiment, the mobile datacomputer mounted in the public safety vehicle will accept a digitalverification from the smart belt and allow access to the computersoperating system by the authorized wearer of the smart belt.

FIGS. 6-8 provide further illustrations of drone technology 91incorporated as a component of the smart belt 10 for a public safetyofficer. Three types of drone technology 91 are contemplated herein invarious embodiments, which may be combined: (1) a drone that is mountedto the public safety vehicle, (2) a drone that is mounted or holsteredon the smart belt 10 or otherwise carried by a human, and (3) a dronethat can be launched separately from the public safety vehicle andofficer. The vehicle-mounted drone can be located in the interior or onthe exterior of the vehicle. When an officer is in chase with a suspectvehicle, he/she can launch a drone after the suspect vehicle is taggedwith a tracking device 100. The tracking device 100 can be planted by(1) placing a strip containing one or more tracking devices 100 in thepath of the suspect vehicle, which allows one or more tracking devices100 to be embedded in its tire(s) or otherwise attached to the suspectvehicle such as a strip of magnetic and/or electro-magnetic devicesand/or a micro marker, nano device, or GPS device that would beattracted to and attachable to the metallic undercarriage (or otherportions) of a vehicle; (2) placing a planting device in the path of thesuspect vehicle that shoots or otherwise propels a tracker device 100 atthe undercarriage of the suspect vehicle as it approaches or drives overthe planting device, (3) shooting a tracking device 100 onto the suspectvehicle by a special weapon used by other officers as the suspectvehicle passes by, and (4) dropping or propelling a tracking device 100at a vehicle from above, such as a tracking device dispenser mounted atan automated or manned tollbooth, a traffic control device (such as atraffic light), an aircraft, drone, or an overhead directional sign(such as a freeway directional sign), as shown in FIGS. 9-11. The smartbelt may include a holster to hold the tracking device special weapon.Similarly, an alternate type weapon 42 may be used to launch or propel atracking device such as a micro marker, nano device, or GPS device ontoa suspect running on foot from the officers in order to tag that suspectand allow tracking of that suspect. In both scenarios the drone may belaunched and pursue the suspect who is on foot or in a vehicle usingeither visual tracking by a user in control of the drone or datasupplied to the drone by the attached device or marker, whiletransmitting GPS location data and live video feed to the pursuingofficers (also on foot or in a vehicle) via the video display glasses 52worn by the officers. The microprocessor 12 in the smart belt 10 remainsin wireless communication with drone to send launch, navigation, andoperational commands, receive video data, status data, and locationdata, and transmit other data bi-directionally.

In various embodiments drone technology 91 may comprise submersible,wheeled and/or flyable/airborne type drone units. For example, alifeguard may have a waterproof version of smart belt 10 with underwatersuitable goggles where the lifeguard deploys a small submersible drone.The small submersible drone then searches for movement under the wavesin the area of a drowning victim to pinpoints or narrow down thelocation of a drowning victim. The submersible drone then sends variousinformation to the underwater googles, such as direction commands to agraphical display of the watertight goggles (for example, a simpledirectional marker to turn left or right or a more complex display suchas a dot on a map), GPS coordinates of the possible or general locationof the drowning victim, and/or video and/or audio data. The drone couldalso sound an audible noise or disperse a dye, balloons or other markerin the water to mark the location.

For another example, a police officer at the scene of a hostagesituation or a potentially burglarized building may deploy a drone toeither fly or move via wheels throughout the location while drone is inwireless communication with the glasses via the smart belt, such as tocommunicate video and/or audio information from the drone to the policeofficer. Similarly, fire department personnel may use the drone to checkfor trapped people in a building that is on fire or to determine whethera fire fighter can enter an area. For example, a drone deployed in aburning building can look for heat signatures consistent with humans orpets, or sounds of distress and cries for help or heat sources to allowfire personnel to be more effective and safe while battling the fires.

In various embodiments, drone technology 91 may be a wheeled, flyableand/or submersible drone equipped with one or more of (a) a dispenser todeploy flares, beanbag rounds, pepper spray and/or other lethal orless-than-lethal items; (b) a delivery capability to provide first aidequipment, ammunition, communication devices, etc.; (c) a camera toallow inspection of a vehicle or location, such as a pipeline or utilitysystem, from a safe distance, to support facial recognition (asdescribed elsewhere); (d) a chemical detection capability to detectchemicals, drugs, particulates, odors, smoke, etc. to allow generationof related information and alerts, such as based on an analysisperformed by microprocessor 12 or drone technology 91 itself; and/or (e)a bomb detection capability to allow generation of related informationand alerts. In addition, drone technology 91 could be equipped with amotion sensor. The motion sensor equipped drone could then be placed ata location where entry is prohibited or monitored, such as outside aprison yard or entry to a secured location. When the motion detectorequipped drone detects a person or movement in the monitored orprohibited area (for example, a person running from a building, goinginto a building, going over a fence or running from a detentionfacility) the drone self-launches, alerts a user of the smart belt oranother person, and begins pursuit of the detected person while sendingdata back to the goggles via the smart belt. For example, such amotioned detector equipped drone could protect a public safety vehiclewhile a police officer is away or allow an officer to monitor multiplelocations places at once, such as the front and the back entrance of asuspect's residence.

In one embodiment, the tracking device is an active tracking device thatemits an electromagnetic signal that is receivable by a drone or otherreceiver device. For example, the tracking device could emit a radiobeacon that allows a drone or other receiver to determine the directionand/or distance of the signal. This type of tracking device could berelatively inexpensive and have a longer duration due to the simplicityof the transmitter and electronics. An appropriately configured dronemay be able to automatically track this type of radio beacon trackingdevice. In another embodiment, the tracking device is an active trackingdevice that transmits a GPS signal to a receiver, such as the drone, asatellite, a specialized receiver or a cellular phone tower receiver,that indicates the position of the tracking device. This type oftracking device would allow the receiver to track the location of thedevice independently of the location of the receiver and the trackingdevice. In yet another embodiment, the tracking device could be passive,such as a light emitter or a substance, such as paint or dye, which ishighly visible under certain conditions. For example, a passive lightemitter could emit non-visible or visible light that is trackable via acamera on a drone, the human eye and/or a camera, such as a trafficcamera, sensitive that particular color of light. For another example, ahigh visibility paint could be used, or a paint that reflects stronglyin the non-visible spectrum, such as the infra-red spectrum orultraviolet spectrum, which would allow a pursuing officer, helicopteror drone to manually or automatically track the tracking device and thusthe suspect. One or more of the tracking devices could be combined. Forexample, in a high-density such as New York City, GPS devices may beunreliable due to the inability of the tracking device to locatesatellites while between tall buildings, and the tracking device couldhave the GPS transmitter supplemented with the radio beacon transmitterto allow a drone hovering above the buildings to track the beacon evenwhile the GPS signal was inaccurate. Continuing this example, thetracker could also emit a strong infra-red light, which would allow adrone or a human controlled helicopter (or even a human sitting in acontrol center watching traffic cameras that are sensitive to infra-redlight) to detect and follow the light source if a building is blockingboth the GPS signal and the radio beacon signal.

In various embodiments, drone technology 91 uses a drone that may beautonomous, semi-autonomous, under manual control or has somecombination thereof. In general, an autonomous drone would be able toautomatically determine paths and avoid obstacles that would prevent thedrone from reaching or finding the tracking device. In general, asemi-autonomous drone may have some ability to determine paths, avoidobstacles and/or find the tracking device, but requires assistance froma human operator in one or more situations. In general, a drone undermanual control requires a human to perform all or virtually all of thedrone's navigation. A particular drone may be autonomous for certainfunctions, semi-autonomous for certain other functions and requiremanual control in yet other functions. For example, a drone attachableto the smart belt may be launched by the human carrying it, fly up to acertain height, and then require manual control from a different humanor a remote computer in order to navigate to the tracking device. Foranother example, a large drone that can be launched from a vehicle mayautomatically begin tracking the tracking device and communicating otherinformation, such as speed and a video feed.

In various embodiments, drone technology 91 may include one or more of avideo generation system, such as a camera, a system for moving the videogeneration system, and the ability to communicate video data via awireless communication system to a remote location. Drone technology 91may also be attachable to the smart belt 10 or can be carried by ahuman, such as a drone in a backpack. In this embodiment, dronetechnology 91 may be chargeable via the smart belt 10, or other carryingdevice such as a backpack.

In various embodiments, drone technology 91 may be used to track asuspect, such as a suspect fleeing from a pursuing public safetyofficial, such as a police officer. Drone technology 91 may also be usedfor search and rescue, reconnaissance, surveillance and otheractivities.

The microprocessor is configured to analyze the captured video images todetermine a license plate identifier and/or suspect identification(using facial recognition), and determine one or more addressesassociated with the license plate and/or suspect. A “smart mapping”system may be part of or in communication with the smart belt 10 tocompare the license plate information of the suspect vehicle or the nameof the suspect to determine known addresses for the suspect and/orinformation, such as addresses, associated with known associates of thesuspect. These can be addresses of residence, family members' homes,close associates homes, etc. that the suspect may target. These knownaddresses can be used to plot out anticipated paths from the currentlocation of the suspect to create a “forecast” so that wearers mayattempt to intercept the suspect. In addition, the “smart mapping”component may compare the location of the fleeing suspect or vehicle toa database of known offenders or persons of interest known to reside inor frequent the area and present a listing of possible identities andrelated information to the wearer. The “smart mapping” database may becontained on the drone itself, on the smart belt, on a computing devicehoused within a vehicle wired or wirelessly connected to the smart beltor drone, or maintained at a remote location and wirelessly connected toone or more of the drone, the smart belt or the computing device housedwithin a vehicle wired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt ordrone. Also, in the absence of knowledge of the identity of the trackedindividual, such as a suspect, the addresses for known criminals in thearea may be presented. Further, these known criminals may be furtherfiltered by known characteristics of the tracked individual to provide ahigher probability of presenting information relevant to the trackedindividual, such as race, body characteristics such as height, weight,facial features, tattoos, scars, etc., and similar crimes or activities,such as robbery or drunk driving.

The drones can also be launched from the vehicle and/or smart belt to beused for search and rescue missions, reconnaissance, surveillancepurposes, etc.

In addition, the smart belt 10 worn by one person may be wired orwirelessly connected to other smart belts worn by other personnel toexchange data and information between smart belts based on proximity orother associative parameters pertaining to the wearer such as time ofday, function performed, etc.

It should be noted that the phrase “wired or wirelessly connected to thesmart belt 10” used herein means that a component is communicating withthe microprocessor 12 and/or one or more other components/subsystemscoupled or held in the smart belt 10 via a wired or wirelesscommunication channel. It should also be noted that the sensors disposedwithin the holders of the smart belt 10 may be implemented by passiveand/or active sensors depending on the desired application andfunctionality.

In addition, the headset, audio recording component or the videorecording component may be operable to receive audible input commandsfrom the wearer of the smart belt, the audible input being recognizedand interpreted by a software component to allow for voice control ofthe smart belt or its externally or internally connected components, bythe wearer of the smart belt.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth below with particularity in the appended claims. However,modifications, variations, and changes to the exemplary embodimentsdescribed above will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and thesystem and method described herein thus encompasses such modifications,variations, and changes and are not limited to the specific embodimentsdescribed herein.

1. A smart belt system worn by a person comprising: an elongated belthaving a plurality of holders configured for holding a plurality ofdevices; a GPS component disposed within the belt configured to trackthe location and movement of the belt; a microprocessor disposed withinthe belt; logic instructions executing by the microprocessor configuredto monitor and regulate the activities of the plurality of devices andlocation and movement data generated by the GPS component; a memoryconfigured for storing the logic instructions and disposed within thebelt and accessible by the microprocessor; a wireless datacommunications system disposed within the belt configured to wirelesslycommunicate with an external data communications system; a data storagecomponent disposed within the belt and accessible by the microprocessorfor storing activity data of the plurality of the devices and thelocation and movement data of the belt generated by the GPS component;and a rechargeable power supply disposed within the belt configured forproviding electrical power to the microprocessor, memory, wireless datacommunications system, GPS component, data storage component, andattached devices
 2. The smart belt system of claim 1, wherein the beltfurther comprises a data port to upload and download data to and fromthe data storage component of the belt.
 3. The smart belt system ofclaim 1, wherein the belt further comprises a charging port configuredfor recharging the power supply.
 4. The smart belt system of claim 1,wherein the belt further comprises an inductive power componentconfigured to recharge the power supply by inductively coupling.
 5. Thesmart belt system of claim 4, wherein the inductive power component isincorporated in a seat configured to inductively recharge the powersupply by inductive coupling when the wearer is sitting in the seat. 6.The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprising a first aidcomponent wired or wirelessly connected to the smart belt.
 7. The smartbelt system of claim 1, further comprising a power/data transfer stripdisposed within the belt configured to facilitate transferring of dataand power between the belt and the components held in the belt.
 8. Thesmart belt system of claim 1, further comprising a flashlight componentin wired or wireless communication with the microprocessor.
 9. The smartbelt system of claim 1, further comprising an electronic weaponcomponent in wired or wireless communication with the microprocessor.10. The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprising a ballisticvest component in wired or wireless communication with themicroprocessor.
 11. The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprisinga facial recognition component in wired or wireless communication withthe microprocessor.
 12. The smart belt system of claim 1, furthercomprising a night vision component in wired or wireless communicationwith the microprocessor.
 13. The smart belt system of claim 9, furthercomprising a chemical spray component in wired or wireless communicationwith the microprocessor.
 14. The smart belt system of claim 1, furthercomprising a gunshot detection component in wired or wirelesscommunication with the microprocessor.
 15. The smart belt system ofclaim 1, further comprising an environmental sensor component in wiredor wireless communication with the microprocessor.
 16. The smart beltsystem of claim 1, further comprising an audio recording component inwired or wireless communication with the microprocessor.
 17. The smartbelt system of claim 1, further comprising a video recording componentin wired or wireless communication with the microprocessor.
 18. Thesmart belt system of claim 1, and further comprising a handcuffcomponent in wired or wireless communication with the microprocessor.19. The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprising a communicationdevice in wired or wireless communication with the microprocessor. 20.The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprising an ammunitionholder in wired or wireless communication with the microprocessor. 21.The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprising a police batoncomponent in wired or wireless communication with the microprocessor.22. The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprising a firearmcomponent in wired or wireless communication with the microprocessor.23. The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprising a weaponholster component in wired or wireless communication with themicroprocessor.
 24. The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprisingan eyewear component in wired or wireless communication with themicroprocessor.
 25. The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprisingan earpiece component in wired or wireless communication with themicroprocessor.
 26. The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprisinga headset component in wired or wireless communication with themicroprocessor.
 27. The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprisinga ballistic headwear component in wired or wireless communication withthe microprocessor.
 28. The smart belt system of claim 1, furthercomprising a ballistic shield component in wired or wirelesscommunication with the microprocessor.
 29. The smart belt system ofclaim 1, further comprising a vehicle in wired or wireless communicationwith the microprocessor.
 30. The smart belt system of claim 29, furthercomprising components mounted to the vehicle in wired or wirelesscommunication with the microprocessor.
 31. The smart belt system ofclaim 29, further comprising a microphone receiving voice commands fromthe wearer, and the microprocessor configured to take proper action inresponse to the received voice commands.
 32. The smart belt system ofclaim 24, further comprising the eyewear component displaying agraphical summary of the status of the belt and each componentassociated with the belt.
 33. The smart belt system of claim 1, whereinthe microprocessor further receives location data from each componentand generate a warning to the wearer in response to determining that thelocation of a component is above a threshold distance from the wearer.34. The smart belt system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality ofsensors in communication with the microprocessor disposed in theplurality of holders configured to detect removal of the devices fromtheir respective holders.
 35. The smart belt system of claim 1, furthercomprising a plurality of sensors in communication with themicroprocessor disposed in the plurality of holders configured tomonitor the activity of the devices.